BRECKSVILLE — Continuing its 70th anniversary season, Brecksville Little Theatre is staging a revival of “Inherit the Wind,” a play that is just as much relevant today as it was in 1954 when it was written.

For those not in the know, the play is a fictional dramatization of the famous trial, The State of Tennessee vs. Scopes, better known as The Scopes Monkey Trial. This took place in the summer of 1925 and pertained to a high school biology teacher, John Scopes, who taught evolution despite The Butler Act banning such teaching in the state.

Fast forward to the McCarthyist 1950s and Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee wrote “Inherit the Wind.” According to an insert in the BLT program, the authors did so, “as a response to the parallel mood of anti-intellectualism they saw in both the ’20s and the ’50s.”

The play focuses on the trial of Bertram Cates, a character based on Scopes, played by Timothy Stralka, who is accused of teaching evolutionism. Leading the prosecution is Matthew Harrison Brady, based on William Jennings Bryan, played by David Hundertmark. Cates is defended by Henry Drummond, based on Clarence Darrow and played by Tim Peebles.

Both Hundertmark and Peebles are former teachers and agree that this is one of the great American plays. Peebles referred to the writing of the play as, “almost perfectly flawless.” As an aside, Peebles, at one point in his career, maintained correspondence with Jerome Lawrence.

The Brecksville rendition, produced by Ken and Georgia Maresh and directed by David Reifel, takes to the Old Town Hall stage at 8 p.m. Friday with a cast of 23. In all, more than 30 people have helped bring the production to life for its second BLT running.

'Inherit the Wind'

Show Info

Show times: Curtain is at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays Jan. 28 through Feb. 13. There will be no show Feb. 5 due to the Brecksville Bicentennial Ball. All shows are at Brecksville Old Town Hall at the northwest corner of the square at routes 21 and 82.

According to Georgia Maresh, heading into its current season, Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby asked BLT to select a play that was relative to history as a tie-in to the Brecksville Bicentennial celebration. Couple that with the theater company celebrating its 70th year, they selected “Inherit the Wind” for its dramatic production. It also builds on the current season’s theme of revival and renaissance.

“It’s so relevant,” Maresh said. “Even to the controversies going on today.”

Both of the Mareshes agree that things going on today are a 180-degree turn from when the play was supposed to take place. Then, the people were trying to keep religion in the schools and today, people fight to keep it out.

Director Reifel has his own share of history with this particular play. He acted in the play in 1983 and 1999 with the Royalton Players and Western Reserve Players, respectively.

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